Detectives search for clues and pieces of evidence to solve crimes and bring justice to commission of illegal or unlawful offenses. They try to find evidence to puzzle out mind-boggling incidents and arrive at a close-to-accurate scenario of a particular case. Same is true with educators. In order to reach one’s learning objectives, educators implement strategic assessment or evaluation methods to gather evidence of learning and put all the puzzle pieces together.
There are various ways on how students can be assessed or evaluated. From answering prompt questions to peer reviews, to creating projects or models and traditional paper-based exams. However, which among these is more valid than the others? Which is more reliable? Which assessment or evaluation technique could complete the puzzle and lead the students towards the attainment of the goals – the learning outcomes.
As an educator for almost eight years, I have employed various assessment or evaluation instruments to gauge student’s understanding. The most common one is the Quarterly or Term Examination. This is a paper-based exam where students use pen and paper to answer questions of different types. There are fill in the blanks, multiple choice, true or false, matching type, short responses and essay questions. These questions give the assessor, which is me-the teacher, a better grasp of what the students know after the entire learning experience with about two to three units. This is an evaluation tool as it “focuses on grades” (EasyLMS, n.d., para. 3) and gauges the quality of instructions, teaching strategies and learning experiences provided to the students.
In my science class, I also employed some formative assessments, such as use of entrance tickets. For example, in a unit topic about the classification of matter. The class explored topics such as physical and chemical properties, atoms and elements, and the periodic table. To fully understand where my students were relative to the concepts of physical and chemical change, I assessed my students so that I can prepare to address students’ different readiness levels. I began with a pre-assessment process two weeks in advance and used entrance tickets as the format. As students entered the classroom, they followed directions written on the board. They used index cards that are in a box by the door to answer the some questions related to what will be discussed in class. The use of entrance tickets serves as a formative assessment that diagnose starting points or current levels of strength and weakness in relation to learning outcomes (Ecclestone, 2020). It helps to guide me as the teacher and assessor to know where they are in the learning continuum before the teaching process.
References:
EasyLMS. (n.d.). Assessment vs evaluation: what’s the difference? Retrieved from: https://www.onlineassessmenttool.com/knowledge-center/assessment-knowledge-center/assessment-vs-evaluation/item10642
Ecclestone, K. (2010). Transforming formative assessment in lifelong learning. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com
MITCHEL AFRICA 
Though I am a student myself, I must admit, a lot of the other students I know are quite like the ones described in the 7th paragraph. Where its stated that “students have this sense of accomplishment when they are able to top an examination or test. On the contrary, this same students find it hard to answer critical-thinking questions and grapple when faced with real-world problems”. These students, though one of the best in terms of studies and grades, hold no common knowledge about the everyday life. They lack the ability to think “outside-the-box”. At school it may seem they can but in fact, the ideas they obtain by thinking “outside-the-box” are still limited to the class discussions. Though this current education system (which has not changed) brought out the smartest people with the greatest inventions, inevitably over time, the creativity and the true open mindedness of people are being suppressed by the standards of which an idea is considered “creative enough”, leaving the people to think there is no room to grow, that what the geniuses before us have already reached the limit. So I think using other methods such as self assessments, reflections, insights and realizations to base students knowledge on is a great idea and a much needed change.
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